The Tale of Echo and Narcissus
by Maeven
Summary: A one-shot of the tragic tale of unrequited love.


~ ~ ~  
  
A part of my English paper...a little short since I took out my analysis...but hope you like it anyways...  
  
~ Maeven ~  
  
[Echo]  
  
Staring up at the light blue skies, I twirled a blade of green grass between my fingers. I closed my eyes tightly, determined to shut out all noises . . . but of course, why would the gods ever comply with me?  
  
"Echo, where are you?" my sisters called out.  
  
With a sigh, I could only return, "Where are you?"  
  
"Are you in the grove?"  
  
"In the grove!"  
  
"Oh good, we finally found you."  
  
"Found you."  
  
Cursed by Hera to only reply and never speak for myself, I live the life of a mimic. Day by day, night by night, I wallow in my own silence, broken only when someone else speaks . . . someone else's voice . . . someone else's ideas. I'm trapped in this shell of a body, unable to voice out my own feelings.  
  
"Narcissus has returned," one of the nymphs giggled. I immediately shot up to my feet.  
  
"Returned?"  
  
"Yes, he just got back with his companions. He is so handsome . . . so beautiful," they sighed.  
  
"So beautiful," I repeated dumbly. {My love! You've finally returned.}  
  
[Narcissus]  
  
I walked through the green forest. {Where have my men gone to? Always -}  
  
A rustle in the trees broke through my thoughts and I whirled around to see a slender brown-haired girl staring at me.  
  
"Oh, it's you," I turned around and resumed walking.  
  
"It's you," she called after me.  
  
"Stop following me. I don't love you," I snapped.  
  
"Love you," she cried out despondently.  
  
I turned around in contempt and sneered, "Don't . . . you're not good enough to love me." I walked away, leaving her behind. She called after me desperately, "Love me!"  
  
Pushing through the trees, I made my way through the forest. People might think of me as cruel and heartless, rejecting one girl after another . . . but if those girls would just stop throwing themselves at me, then we would not have this problem, would we? What's so good about love anyway? Love is a fool's game, an illusion cast by the goddess Aphrodite . . . I myself have never experienced it before . . . and I do think I'm better off like this. Seeing these idiotic wenches fall all over themselves . . . I don't think I will ever understand. Oh well . . . good riddance then.  
  
Finally, I come to the opening. The striking sunlight suddenly blinded me and I held a hand up to cover my eyes. Squinting, I made out a glorious pond of clear tranquil water. {Well, since I'm thirsty anyway -} I walked over and bending down, my eyes widened in awe and I fell in love.  
  
Blond shining locks curling around immaculate rosy cheeks. Pink, full lips slightly parted at the sight of me. Luminous, bright blue eyes softened and I blinked in wonder. {Is it possible? Have I finally met the one destined for me? Am I in love?}  
  
[Narcissus]  
  
"Why won't you answer me?!" Tears dripped down onto that heavenly face, sending ripples across the clear surface. "I love you so much and I see you reciprocate my feelings! Whenever I reach out my hands, you offer yours! Whenever I smile, you respond happily! So why won't you talk to me? Why do you run away whenever I try to hold you, touch you, kiss you?! You're - you're breaking my heart."  
  
Through her watery enclosure, I watched as tears rolled down her cheek and she bit her bottom lip in pain. Her crystal blue eyes had darkened into deep cerulean and her once bright, tanned face had paled into stark white. Trembling, I hold out my hand and she reaches up to touch mine. Lightly, I traced her fingertips and I quickly move to embrace her. Again, she flees and I'm faced once more with tiny undulating waves.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" I screamed in frustration. "Stop this game! It's driving me mad! I love you!"  
  
"I love you!"  
  
I lift my head in shock and quickly leaned over the pond again. "What did you just say? Are you finally answering me? Do you love me?"  
  
"Love me." That same voice again . . . only this time I knew it wasn't her.  
  
Turning my head around, I see the same brown-haired girl who's been following me for some time now. Leaning against a large oak tree, she cried silently as she stared back at me. My eyes dulling, I turned back around. "Leave me alone. She'll come back to me . . . she always does."  
  
[Echo]  
  
Days passed, one after another. Apollo made his daily trip in his chariot, casting shadows across the pond, enveloping my love in a web of darkness. Day by day, I sat here watching him and day by day, he sprawled himself beside that cursed pool, sobbing and bemoaning his love. I wanted to shout at him. I wanted to curse him. I wanted to tell him what a fool he's being . . . that he's falling in love with his own damned reflection!!  
  
I wanted to tell him he's an idiot. I wanted to be the one who would kindly inform him that he's acting like a big fat blubbering baby!! He's the biggest, craziest, obsessed fool ever . . . but what pains me the most is that the fact that I must be an even bigger, crazier, obsessed fool for still loving him so deeply. For every tear that trickled down his porcelain face, two tears rolled down mine. For ever shriek that wretched from his throat, my heart shattered in two. For each day he laid there, withering away . . . I remained by his side, fading along with him.  
  
I wish I could hate him . . . I wish I had enough strength to kick that idiot into his own beloved mirror image and send him to his little watery grave . . . but most importantly, I wish I didn't feel this throbbing pain in my heart. I kept wondering . . . why? Am I not attractive? Is my body so repelling? Why would he fall in love with his own reflection, something that would never respond to him, something that would never be of flesh and blood? Why would he choose to devote all of his affection on this falsehood? Why would he fall in love with his own reflection . . . and not with me? It's insane to fall in love with your own image, but even more nonsensical to be jealous of that false double and yet . . . I can't help it.  
  
I wish I didn't have this body . . . then I might not feel this pain . . . then Narcissus would have noticed me for myself . . . for my soul. Without bodies, Narcissus would never have ended up like this . . . he would not have been taken in by physical beauty . . . he would have loved me. Without this body to imprison my emotions and my voice, I would have reached out to him with my soul . . . and he would finally hear me.  
  
[Echo and Narcissus]  
  
Beside a shimmering pool of crystal liquid, a tiny golden flower leaned over its reflection in the glassy clear water. With satiny, creamy white petals encircling a brilliant yellow center, the sole blossom swayed gently in the breeze. {I love you . . .}  
  
If you listened even more closely, you might also hear a lilting echo through the leaves . . . a soft response. {I love you . . }.  
  
Narcissus might forever remain devoted to his reflection and Echo might have finally gotten her wish for the separation of body and soul . . . but does that mean the story is over?  
  
{I love you . . .} As the soft echo continued to caress the tiny single flower, the pain is still undeniably there; the unbearable lightness of being. 


End file.
